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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25540789">The Way of the Hunt</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Father_Confessor1/pseuds/The_Father_Confessor1'>The_Father_Confessor1</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Left 4 Dead (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drama &amp; Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:40:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,610</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25540789</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Father_Confessor1/pseuds/The_Father_Confessor1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The hunter, having obviously noticed this movement, locked eyes with Ellis once more, this time their eyes meeting over the barrel of his gun. But before Ellis could put his finger on the trigger, something happened that made the man freeze.</p><p>“P-please... d-don’t kill… m-me…” A rough, scratchy sounding voice uttered.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ellis (Left 4 Dead)/Original Male Character(s), Ellis/Hunter (Left 4 Dead)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Alone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>More details in the end notes, rewrite of my nearly decade old stories "The Way of the Hunt" and "Thank You" which have since been rewritten into one story, I hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ellis ran his fingers through his hair, sighing as he stared at the ruined building interior in front of him, a few limbs of the tank that caused the damage jutting out from the rubble, apparently, and thankfully, killed in the collapse. Rochelle, Nick, Coach, and he had been cutting through the building, easily navigating through the few regular infected scattered within, until a tank decided that smashing through from the outside would be a fun surprise for the group of survivors. Causing some of the walls to cave in, separating Ellis from his friends, and by some miracle not causing the entire building to collapse on top of them.</p><p>“Ellis sweetie, you alright over there?” He heard Rochelle call from the other side of the rubble.</p><p>“Yea, I’m good, few scrapes from the debris, but other than that I’m good!” He called back.</p><p>Taking in his surroundings, he sighed, realizing the only open path was the way they had come. “I’ll have to backtrack and find a way round’ to y’all.” He called.</p><p>Silence for a moment, Ellis assumed they were talking and figuring out a meeting spot.</p><p>“Alright,” Rochelle called, “think you can find a way to that turnpike we were headed to?”</p><p>Ellis paused, thinking for a moment, he knew where it was, but getting there would be difficult, it had taken them almost an hour to find a building that they could navigate through, most of the surrounding area and buildings collapsed or ruined in one way or another.</p><p>“Probably,” Ellis called back, running his hand down his face in annoyance, “I’ll have to backtrack and keep heading the way we were before we found this building and hope I find another one that isn’t just a pile of rubble.”</p><p>“Alright, we’ll head there and wait for you. Be careful and avoid as many infected as you can since you’re alone!” Rochelle called to him. Ellis shook his head, lips turning up in a small smile at her reply. She had become a sort of mother to the group, and her actions reflected that, always scolding them if they did something reckless, or making sure they ate whenever they had the opportunity.</p><p>“Will do,” he replied.</p><p>“Try and not die overalls!” Came Nick’s voice.</p><p>Ellis rolled his eyes at the conman’s comment, “Hadn’t planned on it, Nick!”</p><p>No response. Ellis, assuming they had continued on their own path through the building, turned and headed back the way they came, out the entrance to the building. He glanced around the street, seeing only the bodies of the previously killed infected, no new ones having been attracted to the previous gunfire.</p><p>“<em>Well that’s something good at least</em>,” Ellis thought to himself. Readjusting his rifle in his arms, he proceeded down the street in the direction they had been walking when they found the building.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“Fucking boomers,” Ellis muttered to himself. The stench of the bile that had been vomited onto his arm making him gag. He had been able to partially move out of the way when he turned the corner and saw it, but his right arm and shoulder were hit with the bile before he was able to back up and shoot a few rounds into the boomer when it rounded the corner after him, exploding onto the side of the wall and surrounding street and sidewalk. Thankfully, however, there were very few infected nearby, so he didn’t have to worry about being swarmed by a hoard.</p><p>He walked out to the street to a small pothole, still filled with water from the rain the day before, and washed his arm and shoulder off as best he could, opting to just tear off the short sleeve of that arm rather than trying to clean the fabric. “<em>Really liked that shirt</em>,” Ellis thought to himself. It being one of the few remaining articles of clothing he had from before the outbreak, the only others being his current pair of jeans, overalls, boots, and treasured cap.</p><p>Ellis’ entire body stiffened as a high-pitched shriek erupted from somewhere above the street. “<em>Shit, a fuckin’ hunter</em>.” Ellis thought to himself.</p><p>Ellis barely moved, only enough to look up to a nearby rooftop ledge. His eyes widening at what he saw. Not one, but two hunters, and they seemed to be... fighting? Ellis continued to remain stationary, his brows furrowing at the sight. The hunters, both in battered and bloody jeans and hoodies, one maroon in color, the other a dark blue, continued to lunge at each other, slashing claws and baring their fangs at the other, exchanging high-pitched shrieking and growling noises. The hunter in the maroon hoodie made to slash at the blue one, narrowly missing his face as his target lurched backwards from the swipe. The blue clad hunter retaliated with a swipe of his own, this one landing on his target and cutting through the front of the others hoodie across his chest.</p><p>The now further wounded hunter let out a shriek at the attack, but it was cut off into a gurgling, growl-like sound as the blue hunter followed up his initial slash with another, this one cutting through his throat.</p><p>As the now fatally wounded hunter stumbled back, he regained his footing long enough to make one final move, launching himself into the other hunter and off the roof. The two hunters fell from the two-story building, landing on the front of an already ruined car. The now dead, or soon to be dead, hunter had landed on top of the one in the blue hoodie, likely causing him to be further injured, the added weight causing a much heavier landing than a fall alone would.</p><p>Ellis stared at the hunters, unconsciously holding his breath. He assumed both were dead as neither moved for a moment, but suddenly he heard a low whining sound, and the blue clad hunter moved, pushing his now dead opponent off him onto the ground. He himself moving to get off the car, though only succeeding in falling off the opposite side as the other hunter onto the ground, almost directly in front of Ellis, a gap of maybe 20 feet now separating them.</p><p>Ellis watched as the hunter pulled himself up against the side of the car, now much closer, he could see the hunter more clearly. He wore a dark, navy blue hoodie and jeans, both now covered in slash marks and tears, likely from the altercation with this other hunter. Ellis could clearly see blood was soaking the hoodie, the jeans as well but not to the same extent. The most notable injury Ellis could see were four large slash marks in the front of the hunter’s hoodie, going through into his chest, the front of the hoodie relatively soaked in blood.</p><p>“<em>Ok, it’s injured, so hopefully I can put a bullet through it’s head and not have to run the risk of getting torn to pieces,</em>” Ellis thought to himself as he gazed at the injured hunter.</p><p>Ellis started to move for his pistol, currently tucked in the back of his jeans, his rifle out of reach, having been sat down while he cleaned his arm previously.</p><p>Before even getting his arm around his side towards his back, he froze, the hunter’s head having snapped almost instantly up to Ellis, likely having caught the movement out of the corner of his eye.</p><p>“Shit…” Murmured Ellis.</p><p>The hunter stared at him for a moment, red eyes meeting blue, then seemed to flinch, moving a clawed hand to his chest, and letting out a low-pitched whine.</p><p>Ellis, taking this as his chance, quickly stood up, pulling the sidearm from the back of his jeans and aiming it at the hunter, taking a few steps forward to get a closer shot.</p><p>The hunter, having obviously noticed this movement, locked eyes with Ellis once more, this time their eyes meeting over the barrel of his gun. But before Ellis could put his finger on the trigger, something happened that made the man freeze.</p><p>“P-please... d-don’t kill… m-me…” A rough, scratchy sounding voice uttered.</p><p>Ellis’ jaw fell open, the hunter had just spoken to him, and was looking up at him eyes scrunched up, with a small, pained expression on his face, still clutching a clawed hand to his chest wounds which continued to ooze blood. Ellis’ grip on the pistol loosened, lowering it slightly, “Y-you can talk?” Ellis stuttered out.</p><p>The hunter let out a small sound, resembling a mix of a whine and cough. “A-a bit… hard to… m-make w-words… infection cause d-damage…” The hunter’s face scrunched up further, his brow furrowing as he visibly struggled to put words together. “Better wi-with p-practice.”</p><p>Ellis gaped at the hunter, his jaw slightly hung open, a mix of shock and awe across his face.</p><p>As he was about to reply, to ask this talking hunter more questions, he jolted back, gun raising slightly. The hunter had bent over, clutching his wounds, and letting out a sound resembling a whine and whimper.</p><p>Not looking up, the hunter spoke. “H-help m-me… don’t want… w-want to die…” The hunter’s voice was still rough sounding, but now with a tone that made Ellis’ stomach twist. The hunter was scared, and pleading.</p><p>“P-please…” Uttered the hunter, this time looking up at Ellis, eyes wide and filled with what Ellis could only describe as fear. This hunter was truly afraid of dying, he was scared, and was pleading for his help.</p><p>Ellis gulped, having lowered his gun completely at this point. Letting out a shaky breath and returning his gun to the back of his jeans, he knelt down, hesitantly reaching for the hunter’s arms, which now both covered his chest, blood oozing at a steady pace between his now clawed fingers.</p><p>“<em>What the hell am I doing</em>…” Ellis thought to himself.</p><p>He glanced up at the hunter, “Can… can I take a look?” The hunter looked at him, and, giving a short nod, moved his arms away from his chest.</p><p>Ellis took a shaky breath and moved the torn fabric somewhat to get a clearer look, the hunter visibly wincing and letting out a small whine, but making no other movements. Examining the wounds as best he could through the torn fabric. They weren’t super deep from what he could tell, but were still bleeding at a steady pace, he needed to bandage the wounds to stop the bleeding.</p><p>“I… I umm, need to bandage these up, clean them if I can, to keep them from getting infected.” Ellis hesitantly spoke. Ellis almost laughed at the irony, trying to keep an infected from getting an infection.</p><p>The hunter looked at him, his arms returning to his chest, covering the wounds, and applying some slight form of pressure to them. The hunter nodded.</p><p>Ellis stood up, slowly, still unsure if the hunter would react badly to a sudden movement. He looked around. Spotting what appeared to be an old thrift store a small way down the street, he turned back to the hunter. “We can go in that store over there, hopefully there’ll still be some clothes I can tear up to wrap your wounds with.” It was meant as a suggestion, but his tone resembled more of a hesitant question.</p><p>The hunter nodded, scrunching his face up and closing his eyes, he attempted to lift himself off the ground. The hunter was able to struggle to his feet, but attempting to take a step forward appeared to be too much, as his legs buckled and he stumbled forward. Out of instinct and not even thinking about what he was doing, Ellis grabbed the hunter as he fell towards him, the hunter’s clawed hands grabbing his shoulders, and Ellis’ arms wrapping around his middle to stabilize him and keep him from falling.</p><p>Ellis froze, the hunter’s face was now mere inches from his own, scrunched up, eyes closed in pain, he could feel the hunter’s short, pained breaths across his face. The hunter gripped onto Ellis’ shoulders, but did not break the skin. The skin of the hand gripping his now bare right shoulder was surprisingly warm, warmer than he would have expected the skin of an infected to be.</p><p>The hunter panted for a moment, neither of them moved, Ellis out of fear, the hunter likely out of pain.</p><p>Taking a deeper breath, exhaling shakily, the hunter opened his eyes, blood red irises meeting sapphire blue. They’re eyes remained locked for only a few second before the hunter pulled back, though not so far as to have to release his grip on Ellis’s shoulders. Ellis’ arms slackened, letting the hunter move back, but unconsciously keeping his hands placed lightly on his hips, keeping him steady.</p><p>The hunter turned his head towards the shop and looked back at Ellis. “Need h-help to… to walk to store.” The hunter spoke shakily.</p><p>Ellis, gulping, nodded shakily. Releasing the hunter’s hips, he moved forward slightly. The hunter released his hold on Ellis’s shoulders, and Ellis took one arm and wrapped it over his own shoulders, one hand holding lightly onto the hunter’s wrist, the other moving to wrap around his back, being careful to avoid the injuries present on his back as best he could. The hunter moved his free arm back to his wounded chest.</p><p>It took a moment, but they were able to make it to the store entrance, the hunter having heavily leaned onto Ellis’ side, Ellis all but carrying him as his feet half drug the ground.</p><p>Thankfully, the door opened without issue, Ellis noticing that the lock had been previously broken. They slowly made their way into the building. The front area being empty for the most part, shelves and clothing racks having been stripped clean, and in some cases broken all together, but Ellis did notice a scarce few articles of clothing that remained scattered about the floor and some shelves. They moved into the back of the store, entering a door marked “Employees only”. They found themselves in a small break room, a couch and small table present and seemingly undamaged, along with a long since raided kitchen area to the right, and an open door to a small bathroom.</p><p>Ellis moved around the table with the hunter, and with some effort was able to get the hunter onto the couch, half falling into a sitting position, the hunter leaned back and clutched his chest, breathing coming in short pants.</p><p>Ellis stood back, noticing his shirt was now stained with the hunter’s blood, both from catching him and helping him into the building. Ellis looked down at the hunter, “I’m gunna go get some of those clothes to get those wounds covered up with… something to clean them with too if I can.”</p><p>The hunter gave a short nod, not opening his eyes or giving a verbal reply, continuing to take short, pained breaths.</p><p>Ellis backed away towards the door, still subconsciously scared to turn his back on something that could rip him apart in seconds. Eventually though he did, moving back through the doorway, leaving it open, he walked into the main store area. Looking around he began to gather the articles of clothing he could find, all the while having an internal discussion with himself.</p><p>“<em>What in the hell am I doing</em>,” he thought to himself once again. “<em>Getting myself killed, that’s what I’m doing. I’m going to get my throat torn out trying to save this… this HUNTER</em>.”</p><p>Ellis swiftly gathered what he could find of the scattered clothing and returned to the back room. The hunter remained in the same position he left him in, still clutching his wounds, face and eyes scrunched in pain.</p><p>Ellis set the pile of clothing down and walked to the bathroom, testing the faucet, which, as he had suspected, had no running water. He sighed, returning to the break room.</p><p>Ellis knelt in front of the hunter. He reached his hand out and laid it on the hunter’s knee, shaking slightly. The hunter’s eyes shot open, knee jerking slightly. Ellis quickly removed his hands, holding them up in a gesture of peace. “Not gunna hurt you, just need you to lean forward so I can t-take off your hoodie and get to the wounds.” Ellis let out a small laugh, “Your hoodie is kinda trashed now.”</p><p>The hunter hesitated, but then leaned forward. Ellis reached out to the hem of his blue hoodie and started to carefully lift it up, the cloth having begun to stick to the hunter’s skin from the blood. As he lifted the hoodie, the hunter let out several small noises of pain as the fabric that was stuck to his skin was pulled away, but lifted his arms up enough that Ellis could pull it off him.</p><p>Ellis tossed the now ruined hoodie aside and turned back to the hunter, he gulped, “<em>I’m helping a hunter</em>,” he thought to himself. “<em>I just took off a hunter’s hoodie and I’m going to bandage its wounds for god’s sake</em>.”</p><p>Ellis hesitantly looked over the hunter, now having a clear view of the injuries across his torso. There were 4 large, fairly deep, gashes across his chest, starting at the hunter’s left upper torso near his shoulder, and going down in a rightward angle, stopping over the ribs on his right side. There were also several smaller cuts present on the torso and arms of the hunter. Several looking quite a bit older than the most recent injuries, likely from previous altercations with other infected.</p><p>Ellis was also able to now get a clear picture of what the hunter looked like; his face and body no longer being covered by the hoodie. He had a slender build, somewhat malnourished, in Ellis’ opinion. “<em>Probably doesn’t get much to eat</em>,” Ellis thought to himself as he continued to look at the hunter, scanning his now bare chest and abdomen, lingering on the many scars that littered his body, some old and pale white, some still a bright pink. His skin was pale, not in a sickly way; but in a way that seemed like he did not spend much time in the sunlight. As malnourished as he appeared, the hunter still possessed surprisingly well-defined muscles, not overly obvious, but still very noticeable, across his upper body and arms.</p><p>The hunter’s face is what Ellis’ eyes lingered on the most though. “<em>He looks so… human</em>.” Ellis thought to himself.</p><p>The hunter had slightly long hair, having grown just past his ears. His hair was a tangled and matted mess, with what Ellis assumed was dried blood, sweat and grime. His bangs hung just above his eyes, damp and stuck to his forehead by sweat. His facial features were softer, he had a small scar over his left cheek, and one down from below his right cheek over his upper lip, both having healed some time ago, judging by the color which had faded to a pale white. He couldn’t be much older, if not younger, than Ellis himself.</p><p>The hunter’s lips were slightly parted as he let out small pained pants, eyes still closed and scrunched in pain, but he looked better now that he wasn’t moving around anymore.</p><p>Ellis let out a shaky breath and spoke, “I-I umm… I don’t think there are any supplies I can use here, at least not anything like alcohol or disinfectant, so I can’t really clean these wounds properly… I have water in my bag I can use, but it won’t stop an infection… s-sorry. The hunter’s eyes opened slightly, still half lidded, and nodded.</p><p>Ellis took a breath, “Ok… I- I’ll start trying to clean them somewhat, if… Is that ok?” Ellis spoke hesitantly.</p><p>The hunter looked at him with half lidded eyes and nodded once more.</p><p>Ellis took another shaky breath and reached into his bag, pulling out the 3 bottles of water he carried. He took one of the shirts he had found, and tore it into some more manageable pieces, taking one and wetting it with the water. He looked back up at the hunter. “You umm… will you lay down, so I can reach them better?” He asked hesitantly.</p><p>The hunter looked at him, hesitating, but soon nodded and turned his body, lifting his legs onto the couch and lying flat, his head resting on the arm of the couch.</p><p>Ellis hesitantly moved forward, slowly reaching out with the cloth and lightly dabbing at the wound. The hunter winced but made no noise of protest. Ellis gulped, “<em>I can’t believe I’m actually doing this</em>…” He thought.</p><p>Ellis took his time, being gentler than he likely would have been with one of his friends, still sure that the hunter was going to flip and claw his throat open. He changed the cloth he was cleaning the wounds with a few times, after each became too saturated in blood. He also took the time to wipe the drying blood off from around the wounds. Eventually, he deemed that he had done the best he could. Rochelle having almost always been the one to patch him and the others up when they got hurt.</p><p>Clearing his throat, he spoke, “Ok, I think that’s the best I can do… I’m not super great at stuff like this… my friend Rochelle is usually the one who patches everyone up… but I think this’ll do for now, but they need to be properly cleaned with something like alcohol… Rochelle always says they could get infected if they aren’t…”</p><p>The hunter took a shaky breath and opened his eyes, turning towards Ellis, “Than- Thank y-you…” spoke the hunter.</p><p>Ellis nodded, “Umm… yea, n-no problem.” He stuttered out. “Let me get them covered, the bleeding mostly stopped, but they need to be covered up.”</p><p>The hunter nodded.</p><p>Ellis grabbed several strips of cloth he had torn. Turning back to the hunter, “Can you umm… can you sit up so I can wrap these around you now?”</p><p>The hunter grunted, wincing in pain as he sat up, Ellis reflexively reaching out and grabbing his arm to help him. The hunter, now in a seated position, hesitated, looking down at the hand still around his upper arm. Ellis’ eyes widened, quickly taking his hand away, “S-sorry.”</p><p>Ellis looked up at the hunter and could swear he saw the corners of the hunter’s mouth tilt up slightly. “It… it ok… nice t-to b-be to-touched again… alone… for long time…” The hunter stuttered out, still visibly struggling with making words.</p><p>Ellis felt his face heat up. “<em>The hunter liked me touching him</em>?” He thought, and his eyes widened, blush deepening as he thought about how dirty that phrase sounded in his head.</p><p>“I-I umm…” Ellis stuttered, not really knowing how to respond.</p><p>He cleared his throat, “W-what’s umm… what’s your name?” Trying to divert the subject as he began to wrap the torn fabric around the hunter, trying not to be as distracted as he was at his close proximity to him, and the fact he was wrapping his arms around him, more or less, to tie the fabric in several odd angles, as none of the pieces were large enough to fully wrap around his body.</p><p>The hunter swallowed, “Z-Zach… I… I think, m-memory n-not good… foggy… don’t remember… m-many things.” He stuttered.</p><p>Ellis gave a small nod, “Well Zach, my name is Ellis.”</p><p>The hunter looked up, and gave a small smile, “N-nice to… meet y-you… Ellis.” The hunter replied.</p><p>Ellis gave a small smile and continued his work, after a few minutes the hunter’s- Zach’s, chest was, for the most part, covered in scraps of ripped cloths, with small knots scattered about, tying the smaller pieces into larger ones to make them fit around his torso. Ellis leaned back, admiring his work, it wasn’t pretty, but it looked like it was stopping the bleeding, no blood had soaked through the cloth, at least not yet anyway.</p><p>After a minute Ellis stood, looking down at Zach, “You should lie down, you need to rest so that doesn’t start bleeding again.”</p><p>Zach looked up and stared at Ellis for a moment, before nodding and laying back down on the couch.</p><p>Ellis stared at him for a moment, Zach, now lying flat and stared up at him as well. Ellis cleared his throat, “So umm… are you feeling better at all… I don’t have anything for the pain but…” Ellis trailed off.</p><p>Zach nodded, eyes not leaving Ellis, and gave a small smile.</p><p>What he did next shocked Ellis. Zach’s eyes softened, and his smile fell. He lifted up a clawed hand to Ellis’ wrapping his claws around Ellis’ hand in a light grasp and spoke, “P-please don’t… don’t leave… I-I don’t w-wanna be… alone anymore… You a-are… first person… not try t-to kill me…”</p><p>Ellis’ eyes widened and his mouth fell open slightly, the statement shocking him.</p><p>Ellis stared at the hunter for a moment, his face fell, and eyes softened, he felt pangs of sympathy and pity for the young man.</p><p>“How… how long have you been an in-, been… a-alone?” Ellis asked softly, for some reason stopping himself from calling the hunter an infected.</p><p>Zach let out a quiet sigh and turned his head away, releasing Ellis’ hand, “Y-you mean h-how long… been… m-monster…”</p><p>Ellis felt a pang of guilt, “I-I didn’t mean to… I wasn’t trying to upset you or anything.” Ellis swallowed. “How long have you been… alone and… changed?”</p><p>“D-don’t know… exactly… I think… se-several m-months.” Zach pushed out.</p><p>Ellis felt another pang of guilt. Several months? He’s been infected and alone for months? “<em>He’s just a kid</em>…” Thought Ellis.</p><p>Ellis knelt beside him, “<em>I can’t believe I’m about to say this</em>.” He thought.</p><p>Ellis reached out his hand, hesitantly placing it over Zach’s, which now rested on his stomach. “Do, umm… do you want to, maybe… maybe c-come with me?” Ellis asked softly.</p><p>Zach’s head swiftly turned, body turning as well somewhat, to face him, his eyes widening. He stared at Ellis with wide eyes for a moment before speaking. “You… you want… m-me… come with y-you.” He pushed out. Zach’s ruby eyes searching Ellis’ sapphire ones for any sign of disgust or of a lie; a cruel joke.</p><p>Ellis swallowed, “Y-yea, I don’t see why you couldn’t… you’re not… you’re not like other hunters, from what I’ve seen at least.” Ellis said to the hopeful young man. “My friends might be… concerned… about you, but I think I can convince them to let you stay, I’m sure of it. Especially since you can talk, and we’ve been this close for at least a good hour now and you haven’t attacked me or tried to eat me yet.” He said with a small smile and a chuckle.</p><p>The hunter just stared at him for what seemed like an eternity before, in a flash of brown, matted hair, he latched himself around Ellis’ neck, burying his face into the crook of his neck. “T-thank you… thank you… thank you…” He continuously repeated into Ellis’s neck, the words slightly muffled.</p><p>Ellis remained frozen for a few seconds, having been all but certain he was about to get his throat bitten open. Before, hesitantly, he wrapped his arms gently around the young hunter, being cautions not to jostle the bandages as best he could.</p><p>They remained like this for a moment, Zach continuing to murmur thanks into Ellis’ neck. When they pulled apart, Ellis, removing his arms from around the hunter, saw him wince and felt him grip his biceps, which Zach had moved his hands down to, rather than letting go. The movement had caused jolts of pain that he hadn’t noticed when he launched himself at Ellis.</p><p>Ellis helped lay the hunter back, Zach’s hands releasing his shoulders and resting on his bare abdomen.</p><p>Ellis unconsciously laid one hand over the hunter’s, “You should get some rest.”</p><p>The hunter looked over to him, tensing slightly, “Y-you won’t l-leave if… if I s-sleep?” He asked with a quiet voice.</p><p>Ellis shook his head, “I’ll stay in here with you, promise.” He gave the hunters hand a small squeeze.</p><p>Zach nodded, visibly relaxing, and closed his eyes.</p><p>Ellis stared at the hunter for a moment, his hand still holding Zach’s. When he noticed this he felt his cheeks get hot, thankful the hunter’s eyes were closed and he couldn’t see how pink he was sure his face was at that moment.</p><p>He released the hunter’s hand and stood, turning around, the door to the main shop area was still open and he could see it was beginning to get dark, it had already been late when he was separated from his friends. He was sure it would be dark soon.</p><p>“<em>Staying the night here is the best idea anyway… better not to travel in the dark anyway</em>.” Ellis thought to himself as he walked over and pulled the door shut, locking it. He turned back, seeing Zach’s eyes on him, he smiled, “I’d rather us not have any unexpected visitors tonight.” He said with a small laugh.</p><p>Zach gave a small nod, continuing to watch Ellis as he moved the table away from the couch. Picking up the rug it was on top of and shaking it off as best he could before he laid it back down. He used what was left of the clothing he found to pile together and make a makeshift pillow. Ellis laid down on his pallet, staring at the ceiling, one thought running through his mind.</p><p>“<em>What the hell have I gotten myself into</em>?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Trauma</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Small warning, there is some mention of child abuse in this chapter (Physical abuse only, not sexual), nothing graphic, just a mention of it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first thing Ellis noticed was that his back hurt like hell “<em>S’what I get for sleeping on the floor</em>.” He thought to himself.</p><p>The second thing he noticed was that he was warm, well, half of him anyway.</p><p>The third thing he noticed was the breath on the nape of his neck and the arm over his chest, followed by a full body shiver, though, it wasn’t his body.</p><p>Ellis’ eyes shot open, his body freezing in place, breath catching in his throat as the events of the previous day flooded back to him, and he realized the reason he was warm was the fact there was currently a hunter pressing itself into Ellis’ left side.</p><p>Ellis let out a small sigh realizing he wasn’t breathing on his neck about to bite him, but rather in slow, even breaths while he slept.</p><p>“<em>Well, I’m not dead at least</em>. “ Ellis thought to himself.</p><p>Ellis, though slightly more relaxed now that he felt his life wasn’t in any immediate danger, tensed up slightly when he felt another full body tremor, and subsequently felt the hunter, “Zach” he reminded himself, press tighter into his body, his arm, which was wrapped across Ellis’ chest, trying to pull Ellis closer.</p><p>Ellis turned his head slightly, able to see matted brown hair from the corner of his eye. This movement, however small, caused the young hunter to let out a small whimper and hold tighter onto Ellis.</p><p>“P-please, d-don’t…” Zach softly whimpered in his sleep. “I d-don’t… want… to be alone…”</p><p>Ellis felt his heart sink, “<em>He’s having dreams about being left alone… poor kid</em>.”</p><p>The hunter continued to shake and let out small whimpers, until suddenly he let out a gasp and jolted up and away from Ellis, wildly looking around the room, backing away until his back hit the corner of the room.</p><p>Ellis slowly sat up, his heart pounding in his ears and his hands raised up.</p><p>Zach, who was now gasping for air and was visibly shaking, wildly looked around the room. Finally seeming to notice Ellis, his eyes settled on him and his breathing started to slow, though he continued to shake visibly.</p><p>Zach’s eyes fell to the ground and he pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.</p><p>“I’m s-sorry… Ellis.” Zach softly spoke as he looked up at Ellis through watering eyes.</p><p>Ellis lowered his hands, a look of concern falling over his face, “Are you ok?” He asked, “Were you having a nightmare?”</p><p>Zach gave a small nod, his eyes looking down to his knees once more. “Yea…”</p><p>Ellis slowly moved to stand, and hesitantly made his way over to Zach, sitting with his back to the wall next to him. He looked over to him, “Do… do you wanna talk about it?”</p><p>Zach, who hadn’t reacted to Ellis moving to sit beside him, looked over to him, wiping his still watery eyes.</p><p>“M-my family… I got… bit, a-and my dad… h-he…” Zach trailed off, looking back down, pulling his knees tighter to his chest.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>~~~ 3 months ago ~~~</strong>
</p><p>“Zachary! Hurry up!” His father’s rough voice shouted.</p><p>Zach stumbled, catching himself on the car he was attempting to climb over. As he caught up with his family, Zach looked down, avoiding his father’s gaze, “S-sorry dad.” He quietly murmured.</p><p>Zach’s father let out a quiet grunt, turning around and proceeding through the piled-up cars down the freeway they were currently traveling on, cars were lined up, long abandoned as far down the freeway as he could see. Zach’s mother and sister immediately followed.</p><p>Zach, remaining in the back, though not far enough to cause his father to get upset with him again. He looked ahead at the rest of his family. They had been traveling to a supposed safe zone for the last few weeks, if the rumors were true, they only had about a day’s worth of walking left to get there.</p><p>There were only 4 of them left, his father Stan, his mother Allison, his little sister Amanda, and himself. Zach’s other brother, Aiden, had been killed just 2 weeks before, just as the infection had begun to spread, while his family was fleeing the city. He had been killed by an infected that had leapt from the top of a building they were passing, a loud screech echoing around them, before anyone could react his brother had been pinned down and the infected had bitten into his throat, he was dead in minutes.</p><p>His father had killed the infected, the hunter as other survivors had called them, with a bullet through its skull with his rifle, but not in time to save his son. Zach would never forget the sounds his brother made, and the look in his eyes as he died in his mother’s lap, tears running down his face, choking, and drowning in his own blood.</p><p>They left his body, “We can’t do a damn thing for him anymore! He’s dead Allison!” He had screamed at his wife as she held her eldest sons still warm body in her arms, tears pouring down her face as she flinched away from her husband, her daughter and only remaining son next to her, crying their own silent tears over their brother’s death.</p><p>Zach’s father had never been kind to his family, he wasn’t warm or understanding, he was a cruel man, violent most times, but his mother, and himself especially, had it the worse. He saw his mother often covering bruises on her face with makeup. Zach covered his with his clothes. His father often never hit him where people could see, but when it happened, if a stray hit landed across his face it didn’t matter, not anymore, he was 20 years old now, but he was still afraid of his father.</p><p>Zach knew there were places he could go, that he could have gone when it started when he was just a teenager, where his mother and sister could still go, but he was scared, even now, being 20 years old, he still couldn’t explain it, but anytime running away or asking for help had ever came into his thoughts, he’d hear his father’s voice in his head from when he was 16, and had decided to stand up to his father the first, and only time, when he was in one of his “moods”, “Not like anyone would believe a pathetic kid like you, and even if they did, who’d want you? You think you’d survive in the foster system? No one in their right mind would want a worthless fag like you. You’d end of dead or be begging to come home like a worthless mutt.” Those words had been burned into his mind, and he never stood up, or spoke out against his father again.</p><p>His mother, she wasn’t warm and loving, but she wasn’t like him, she never laid a hand on her children, but she never spoke up when their father did, like them, she was afraid, “You shouldn’t have made him angry like that, “ His mother coolly said as she dabbed a damp cloth at the busted lip and the small cut on the cheek of her son’s face.</p><p>Zach hadn’t responded, preferring to avoid his mother’s gaze and remain silent.</p><p>“ZACHARY!”</p><p>Zach jumped at this, jolting himself out of his memories, looking up at his father as he angrily stalked toward him.</p><p>Before Zach was able to respond his father’s hand was behind his head, fisting tightly in his hair and yanking his head back. Zach let out a small sound of pain, his father responding by pulling harder. “Are you trying to get us fucking killed!” He shouted in Zach’s face, his sour breath turning Zach’s stomach.</p><p>“N-no sir, “ He responded quickly, his heart pounding as his father fisted his other hand into the collar of his shirt, still gripping his hair with the other.</p><p>“Maybe fucking pay attention so you don’t end up killing us all you fucking idiot!” His father ground out between clenched teeth.</p><p>Zach was too petrified to speak, but, even if he had been able to, a loud shriek pierced the air before he would have had time. His father’s head snapped up to the trees around the highway, releasing his holds on Zach, pushing him back as he reached for the rifle on his shoulder, aiming at the tree line.</p><p>Zach stumbled back, ending up falling back against the car behind him, hard, and suddenly the quiet evening air was filled with the ear-piercing shriek of a car alarm.</p><p>“SHIT!” His father screamed, looking down at him with pure rage.</p><p>The highway they were on was raised off the ground a fair bit, but there were trees not far, a gap that could easily be made by a special infected.</p><p>His father pulled the rifle off his shoulder and raised it, aiming wildly around at the trees.</p><p>A shriek pierced the air from the trees, an all too familiar shriek. His father turned around at the source of the sound, only to see the leaping form of a hunter flying through the air, landing directly in front of Zach.</p><p>Zach was petrified, but as the hunter leapt onto him, he raised up his arms to shield his face, only to scream out in pain as the hunter’s teeth sunk into his forearm. Zach kept his other arm over his face as the hunter slashed at him, leaving a multitude of slash marks across his arm.</p><p>He struggled against the hunter as best he could, trying to raise his legs to push him off, and was finally successful when the hunter released the bite on his arm, landing a hard kick to his abdomen pushing him back. Before the hunter could launch another attack, a shot rang out, a bullet exploding out the front of its skull, spraying Zach with its blood. The hunter collapsed onto the ground and didn’t move again.</p><p>Zach sat there against the car panting, staring at his now bitten forearm in horror. He looked up, only to be met with his father’s cold gaze, and the barrel of a rifle aimed at him, eyes glued to the bite on his arm.</p><p>“It bit you.” His father spoke coldly.</p><p>Zach was shaking, too petrified to move, tears started to run down his face.</p><p>“Stan! What the hell are you doing?” He heard his mother shout, eyes still glued to the rifle in his face.</p><p>“He’s bitten.” His father stated, not taking his eyes off his son.</p><p>“That doesn’t mean he’ll turn! We don’t know if that’s how it works!” His mother responded. Zach was able to turn his eyes over to her. She stood behind his father, face a mix of concern and fear, holding her daughter behind her back as to protect her.</p><p>“He’s bitten Allison! He’s going to become like the fucking monster that murdered Aiden!” His father turned around and screamed at her.</p><p>Zach’s mother flinched back. Looking over to her only remaining son, tears filling her eyes. “Just… make it fast.”</p><p>Those words triggered something in Zach, survival instinct taking over, he jolted up, his father still facing his mother and grabbed the rifle, from his fathers distracted arms, throwing it to the ground and turning around and bolting back the way they had come, being met with the sight of a fast approaching horde that had somehow climbed onto the raised highway. Zach slowed, but didn’t stop, not until a shot rang out, and a burning pain ripped through his right side. His father had taken his sidearm, hidden behind him in his belt, and shot his son from behind.</p><p>Zach fell to the ground, letting out a cry of pain as several more shots rang out, bullets flying above his head. Zach didn’t have a way out, his father behind him, trying to kill him, and a fast-approaching horde in front. Zach made the only choice he could. Turning to the side, he leapt off the side of the highway, the last thing he heard was his father’s voice screaming, “GET BACK HERE YOU FUCKING MONSTER!” Then he hit the ground, and it all went black.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>As Zach finished recounting the horrible actions of his father and the rest of his family, Ellis had his jaw clenched in anger. “<em>What the fuck is wrong with those people, they abandoned their son and left him for dead, they tried to KILL him</em>!” Ellis thought angrily to himself.</p><p>Zach was now holding his legs to his chest as tight has he could, silent tears rolling down his cheeks.</p><p>Ellis felt a heavy pang of sadness for the young man, and waves of anger at a family willing to do this to their child.</p><p>“Fuck em’.” Ellis stated coldly.</p><p>Zach looked over to him, cheeks damp with tears.</p><p>Ellis reached his hand over, laying it on Zach’s knee, “If they were willing to do that to you, their own son, then fuck em’. They ain’t got no right. It’s not your fault that you got bit, and they had no way of knowing if you’d change or not.” Ellis said without hesitation.</p><p>Zach just stared at Ellis for a moment, silent tears still falling from his eyes.</p><p>Ellis took his hand away and crawled closer to Zach, their shoulders brushing, and wrapped his arm around him, the hunter’s bare shoulders warm against the skin of his arm. “You don’t gotta worry about them anymore.” Ellis said, looking beside him to Zach, who met Ellis’ gaze, “And you ain’t alone no more, you’re coming with me now.”</p><p>Zach sniffed, wiping the tears from his eyes, and kept Ellis’ gaze, “T-thank you… E-Ellis.” Zach moved, his gaze leaving Ellis as he turned his head, and laid it on Ellis’ shoulder.”</p><p>Ellis smiled, “No problem, buddy.”</p><p>They stayed like this for a few moments until Zach raised his head, and lowered his legs into a crisscross, his knee now touching Ellis’. He looked over to him, “I’m g-glad you… d-didn’t kill m-me.”</p><p>Ellis felt a pang of sadness inside him at these words, “<em>I feel bad, pointing a gun at him, at a kid</em>.” He thought to himself, wondering about all the other infected he’d killed over the last weeks, the last months, if any of the had been like Zach, alone, afraid and labeled as monsters just because they were infected, because they were turned into something that they had no choice in.</p><p>“I am too,” Ellis responded, a small smile on his face. “And just so you know.” Ellis continued. “You ain’t a monster.”</p><p>They stared at one another for a moment, nothing said between the two. Ellis unconsciously reached his hand up, brushing against Zach’s cheek, which the young hunter leaned into. Ellis felt his cheek heat up when he heard Zach let out a sound akin to a purr.</p><p>Zach’s eyes never left Ellis’ his face still tilted into Ellis’ hand resting on his cheek a small smile on his face. “Thank you…” Zach spoke softly.</p><p>Their private moment was shattered as a roar sounded outside the door and it was suddenly ripped from its hinges and thrown into the room.</p><p>Ellis and Zach jolted apart, their eyes snapping to the charger that had just forced its way into the room.</p><p>Ellis attempted to stand to his feet and reach his gun, but the charger was faster than his own human reflexes. The charger moved forward, now between Ellis and his gun. Before Ellis could react, he felt himself being lifted off the ground and slammed into the floor, and all the air left his lungs. Before he could recover from this first impact, he was lifted again, and thrown into the far wall, slamming into it and then falling heavily onto the floor. The last thing he heard was a loud shriek before everything went black.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Decided to change chapter count from 5 to 7, this chapter ended up being much longer than I had originally planned. I planned for this chapter to end where I believe chapter 3 will end now.</p><p>Either way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I will try and update as often as I can, but I just started my freshman year of college so I've been running around like a crazy person!</p><p>Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed! Please drop some kudos and leave a comment down below, I love reading them &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wrote this story initially about 8 years ago on FFN, I never finished it, and decided that I wanted to redo the entire thing, I think my mistake last time was trying to make a story that would span dozens of chapters, and for me, that's not realistic. My estimate is that this story will take about 5 chapters, give or take, this may change, but that is my goal for the moment and I have a rough plan written out!</p><p>More tags to come, I will add them as they are needed, to not give any spoilers.</p><p>Thank you to any and all who have read this story, I do hope you enjoyed it! I will try to update again as soon as I can! Much love, friends!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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